Quick Shots-26

WhatsApp to add ability to adjust ‘Last Seen’ status on contact-by-contact basis

WhatsApp looks set to add some enhanced privacy features that have existed in other cross-platform messaging apps for a long time already with the ability to adjust the “Last Seen” status on a contact-by-contact basis.

The “Last Seen” status within WhatsApp sits at the top of all chats with contacts you have with the feature enabled. However, if you have it disabled, then neither you or your contact will be able to see when you’re online or were last connected. From a privacy perspective, it’s a fairly solid solution, but it’s a one-size-fits-all solution that doesn’t allow for nuanced controls or tweaking as it stands.

Read More at 9to5Google

New Redmi K series phone with Snapdragon 870 chipset and 120 Hz refresh rate in the works

Xiaomi is tipped to be working on new devices under the Redmi K series. The Chinese smartphone maker has tasted success with this affordable premium smartphone lineup in the past which has egged the brand to bring regular updates to this lineup.

Reports hint that the company is working on a new device under the K Series with key highlights like Snapdragon 870 Chipset and an OLED panel with a 120-Hz refresh rate.

Read More at Techradar

MediaTek widens lead over Qualcomm in global smartphone SoC market

MediaTek continued to lead the global smartphone SoC market in the second quarter of 2021, according to the latest research from Counterpoint.

Data from the market research firm reveals the Taiwanese chipmaker held a 43% share of the market in the April to June quarter, thanks to a growth in shipments of low-end 5G chips. Unlike Qualcomm, MediaTek didn’t have any major supply constraints either.

Read More at Android Central

120W fast charging officially confirmed for the Xiaomi 11T Pro 

The Xiaomi 11T Pro was rumored to support 120W fast charging or (as Xiaomi calls it) HyperCharge. The company has officially confirmed that spec with a Twitter teaser building up to the September 15 event.

That’s close to double the charge rate of the original Mi 11, which topped out at 67W. The battery capacity is expected to remain the same, 5,000 mAh. There’s no official word on the wireless charging for the Pro model (was 67W on the original).

Note that the tweet specifically mentions the Xiaomi 11T Pro, so the vanilla T-phone will probably miss out on the upgrade. The original 11 charged at 55W over a wire and 50W wirelessly. There were also the Mi 11X and 11X Pro, though those were lower end models and charged at 33W.

Read More at Gsmarena

The Realme Pad will have a 7,100 mAh battery with 18W Quick Charge

The Realme Pad, the company’s first tablet, will be slim, measuring only 6.9 mm in thickness. Inside that shell will be a 7,100 mAh battery, according to the latest tweet by CEO Madhav Sheth.

The tablet will support 18W charging over USB-C, which was seen on video in a previous teaser.

The Realme Pad will have a 10.4” display with 2,000 x 1,200 px resolution (that’s 82.5% screen-to-body ratio). You will be able to enjoy up to 12 hours of video playback on that screen on a single charge.

Read More at Gsmarena

LG XBoom 360 is a new wireless speaker that doubles as a lantern

LG has just revealed its latest wireless speaker, the LG XBoom 360. Thanks to its unique form factor, LG promises that the XBoom 360 will provide distortion-free 360-degree sound and lighting that’s great for at-home and outdoor listening.

The XBoom 360 achieves its unique listening experience thanks to its conical shape. This design delivers omnidirectional audio with an impressive 120W output that should provide the power and clarity you’d expect from any other high-end speaker.

Read More at Techradar

Samsung’s going to make you wait for its bonkers 576MP camera

Samsung’s website had mentioned earlier that human eyes match a resolution of around 500MP, and the company wants to go beyond that. With its 576MP sensor, it might achieve that feat, but it might not necessarily mean that it would be a good match for smartphones. Instead, such sensors could be used in autonomous vehicles, drones, and medical equipment. Autonomous vehicles would also need ultra-powerful chips to process images and videos coming out of such a high-resolution sensor.

The company’s 50MP ISOCELL GN2 sensor would be a perfect fit for smartphones since it has a large pixel size (2.8µm), dual-pixel autofocus, excellent HDR processing, 4K 120fps and 8K 30fps video recording, and low noise. It is being rumored that the Galaxy S22 and the Galaxy S22+ could feature this 50MP sensor.

Read More at Sammobile

Huawei patents hints at a hands-free rollable phone future

Huawei could let users control the screen extension through physical finger swipes, complete with haptic feedback and audio alerts. However, the company also details an air gesture control method. Users would be able to activate the screen by swiping their hands above a camera or dedicated sensor. The sensor would then translate this movement to either retract or expand the display. Notably, Huawei’s gesture system could also allow users to slow down or speed up the screen’s scrolling speed. This could be done by holding a certain number of fingers above the sensor.

Read More at Android Central

LG develops new material to fix annoying creases in foldables

Foldables are a tough piece of tech to make. Their displays have a problem of balancing between flexibility and durability. Plus, most foldables have a crease at the part of the screen from where it folds.

LG has developed a new material to solve problems of durability and creasing. The chemical branch of the company has made a cover window — the protective part that lies on top of the display — that is supposed to be as tough as glass and as flexible as plastic.

To build this cover, the company has used a special kind of coating on top of a thin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic film. LG claims that this material is more sturdy and flexible than the current crop of polyimide film and tempered glass-based solutions for foldables. 

Read More at The Next Web

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra could be powered by Exynos 2200 after all

It’s no secret that Samsung is already working on the Galaxy Tab S8 series as the successor to the Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7+, which are among the best Android tablets. The next-generation lineup was recently rumored to ship with Qualcomm’s upcoming flagship SoC dubbed the Snapdragon 895, but that might not be entirely the case.

A post on a Korean forum claims that the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will be powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 2200 processor, as per SamMobile. The new rumor also suggests only the Galaxy Tab S8 and Tab S8 Plus will feature Qualcomm’s next-gen Snapdragon 895 SoC.

Read More at Android Central